Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-08-12
Information for Immigrali Is.

The following contains answers t.
questions sent by parties residing in the
states who contemplate removing tc
Idaho.
Question.-Is there any public lant
in your country suitable for agricul.
ture
Answer.-Yes, although it lies on the
outskirts of the settlements and in the
timber. There are many places where
quarter sections of the best land car
he had for the locating, but generally
speaking public land is getting scarce
and in the settlements there are only
fractions of forty or eighty acres lef
for the new corners. The best way fol-
new corners 10 get land is to buy on,
a presumption claim from somebody who
located it to speculate with. By this
means you can get quarter section o.
good land inla good location with some
improvements for $500 or $780, These
claims usually have house on them and
some fencing and breaking, and the new
conner will find it greatly to his advantage
to secure his claim by purchase.
Question.-What is the character OF
your soil and what does it produce?
Answer.-The soil of this prairie is a
black loan in some places sixty feet deep.
1t produces natural grass called bunch
grass which grows thick enough to be
rut and saved. When not cut, it cures
on the stalk and makes a very nutritious
feed for stock in the winter.
All the tame grasses such as timothy,
blue grass, orchard grass and all var-
cites Of clover do well. The principal
crop we raise is timothy. This year we
will cut two tons to the acre. Oats,
barley, wheat and fax are the principal
grain crops and they all thrive remark.
ably well. Our wheat crops this year
will be very heavy, averaging thirty
FIVE bushels to the acre. The other crops
will yield equally well.
Questionable you have wet and dry
seasons, or rain at all times of the
year?
Answer.-The summer season here is
usually dry, and the spring, fall and
winter are wet. Last year was the
dryest ever known here since the
settlement of the country, but it rained
every month in the year. Generally
speaking, the spring and fall are rainy
seasons. August and September are the
two dryest months in the year. In the
other ten months rain is liable to fall
at any time.
Question.-Howl long are the winters?
Answer.-We generally get a few
frosty nights in November, but winter
rarely commences until late in Deem
her. Last winter our farmers were
ploughing up to December %. and in
December of 1885 they were ploughing
as late as December 81. We generally
get one big snow storm in January or
February. but it rarely lays on the
ground more than week owing to the
warm Chinook winds which blow from
the southwest and modify the climate.
The most disagreeable part of the year
is the spring with its cold rains and
mud, but all through the winter and
spring there are weeks. when we have
delightfully."- open weather free from
frost. Taking seasons one with another
we have the best aud most healthful
in the world.
Question.-Have you any running
water, and how deep are your wells?
Answer.-1his is the best watered
country in the universe. On one side
Of this prairie flows the Salmon river, a
stream 400 miles long, on the other side
The Clearwater. another large river cir
rles around the prairie. There are ten
or dozen creeks which cross the prai-
rie and put into these rivers. The rock
underlying the soil is Porous basalt
which carries underground streams of
" alter. The presence of these streams
is easily determined by water-witch,
md water is usually found about forty
feet deep. In the vicinity of Grangeville
md Mt. Idaho water is found at depth
Of ten or twenty feet.
Qnestion.-What stock are best suited
10 your country, and how long do you
Iced?
Answer.-Cattle and horses do well
lere. Stock raising is our principal in
instry. 1t is not customary to feed
took, and until the last year or two no
eed was put up for them, as our stock
'aisers preferred to take their chances
IN an open winter. but now they are
aising timothy hay. as the breed of cat
lie is improving. through the importa-
ion of blooded bulls. Poled Angus,
ialloways, Herefords and Short-hcrns
re the favorite stock. The breed OF |
orses is also improving, as some of the |